New York coach Mike D'Antoni told an ESPN reporter he knew the Knicks might be in serious trouble when they faced the Lakers on Feb. 2 at Madison Square Garden. D'Antoni walked past Bryant during pregame warmups.

"Hey, Kobe, what's going on?" D'Antoni said, recalling the moment just before the national anthem was performed and the player introductions were made. "And he wouldn't look at me. I knew right then we were (bleeped)."

He got that right. That was the night Bryant dropped 61 points on the Knicks.